Subsurface pump



April 19, 1955 J. H. VAN DEN BEEMT 706,526

SUBSURFACE PUMP FIG.

Filed Feb. 12, 1952 INVENTOR. JAN H. VAN DEN BEEMT BY I u Zflr ATTORNEYS United States Patent SUBSURFACE PUMP Jan H. Van den Beemt, Jarrettown, Pa., assignor to Sperry- Sun Well Surveying Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application February 12, 1952, Serial No. 271,200

6 Claims. (Cl. 166-101) This invention relates to a subsurface pump and, more particularly, to a pump which may be lowered by means of a drill stem into a well and is adapted to pump liquid downwardly through the drill stem.

In obtaining crude petroleum it is common occurrence to have the pressure within the producing horizon decrease so that it is necessary to increase the oil flow to adjacent wells by introducing water under pressure to the oil-bearing strata through former oil wells selected near the producing field. In some fields, water-bearing sands which overlie the oil strata are the source from which water is permitted to flow downwardly into the oil reservoir to create the necessary pressure by building up a hydrostatic head proportionate to the depth of the water in the well.

In locations where the pressure in overlying waterbearing sands is relatively low, the water from the formation will not pass downwardly into the underlying oilbearing layer unless the water pressure is increased by auxiliary pumping apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pump which will pump subsurface waters downwardly through a drill stem.

The high pressures which are required in this type of pumping operation can be achieved only by the upward pull on a pump rod, the length of the rod and the diameter of the space available within the drill stem being generally such as to make it impossible to provide the pressure required by a downward push on a pump rod.

It is, therefore, a further object of this invention to provide a pump which can be lowered into a well on a drill stem and which will serve to pump fluid downwardly as a result of actuation of a pump by upward pull on a pump rod.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1A shows a portion of the pumping apparatus located at the surface of the earth;

Figure 1B shows in enlarged scale an axial sect1on of the drill stem and the pumping apparatus positioned below the surface of the earth; and

Figure 1C is a showing of a portion of the drill stem positioned below that portion shown in Figure 1B.

At the surface of the earth there is mounted on a suitable bed plate 2 conventional driving means indicated generally by the numeral 4 which drives a crank 6 actuating an arm 8 and a beam 10. The beam 10 1s pivotally mounted at 12 on suitable framework 14.

Suspended from the outer end of the arm 10 by means of a flexible cable 16 is a pump rod 18. The bore hole extending into the earth is provided with a casing 20 and supports tubing 22 which is provided with a cap 24 including suitable packing and guide means to permit reciprocation of the pump rod 18.

The bore hole casing 20 is perforated as indicated at 26 in the region of suitable water-bearing sand 28, permitting the flow of water through the perforations into the space between the casing and the drill stem.

Attached to the drill stem 22 isa valve mounting member 30 which is provided with a central bore 32 for the passage of the pump rod 18. A snug sliding fit is provided between the pump rod 18 and the bore 32. The member 30 is provided with a plurality of radial bores 34 which enter a chamber 36. The lower portion of the chamber 36 is covered by a disc 38 which 1s threaded into a bore 40 of the member 30. A plate 42 2,706,526 Patented Apr. 19, 1955 is threaded into a bore 44 and is seated against the shoulder formed between the bores 40 and 44. The plate 42 is provided with bores 46 for the passage of fluid, and the plate 38 is provided with bores 48 for the passage of fluid. The valve members 50 are urged into position sealing the bores 48 by springs 52.

Attached to the lower end of the member 30 is a pump sleeve 54. A piston 56 is slidably mounted within the sleeve 54 and is in sealing relation therewith. The piston 56 is attached to the pump rod 18 and is provided with a central bore 58 and passages 60 in communication therewith. Extending downwardly from the lower end of the piston 56 is an annular member 70.

Mounted in the lower end of the pump sleeve 54 is a block member 64, and extending upwardly from the block member 64 and integral therewith is the cylindrical member 66 which enters the annular space 62 surrounding the member 70. The inner wall 68 of the cylindrical member 66 is formed to be a sliding fit and in sealing relation with the outer surface of the annular member 70 extending downwardly from the pump piston 56. The pump sleeve 54 is provided with a plurality of radial bores 72 at its lower end.

Mounted in the block member 64 is a bored plate 74 which supports a spring 76 and a valve member 78 which is adapted to seal a bore 80 in the block member 64.

The lower end of the pump sleeve 54 is joined to a tube section 82. This tube section or a successive section below section 82 is provided with a conventional packer assembly indicated generally at 84 to provide a seal between the well casing 20 and the tube extension portion 86 provided by the packer assembly.

Water flowing from the water-bearing sands 28 through the casing perforations 26 into the casing 20 may pass downwardly between the tubing and the well casing until its downward passage is arrested by the packer assembly 84. Water will also pass through the passages 34 and into the chamber 36.

In the operation of the pump when the left-hand end of the beam 10 is in an uppermost position and the pump rod 18 is, therefore, in an uppermost position, the piston 56 will be in an uppermost position with the top portion 57 of the piston 56 adjacent to but not touching the plate 42. As the left-hand end of the beam 10 moves downwardly, the pump rod 32, by its own weight, will move downwardly, carrying with it the pump piston 56. Downward motion of the piston 56 will draw liquid from between the tubing and the bore hole casing through the passages 34 and the chamber 36, past the ball valves 50 and into the space within the pump sleeve 54 above the pump piston 56. There will also be a displacement of the liquid from within the cylindrical member 68 upwardly through the bore 58 in the piston 56 as the piston 56 moves downwardly. It will be evident, however, that the volume of liquid thus displaced will be relatively small with respect to the volume of the liquid drawn inwardly to the space above the piston 56 past the ball valves 50.

Downward motion of the pump rod 18 is preferably arrested immediately before the lower end of the piston 56 seats against the top of the member 64. The ports 72 provide for the displacement of liquid from the annular spaces 63 and 62 as the sleeve 66 enters the space 62, and the outer annular portion of the pump piston enters the space 63.

It will be evident that, as a result of prior pumping, the pressure of the liquids in the lower tubing section 82 will be in excess of the pressure of the liquids being drawn into the space above the pump piston 56 This relatively high pressure liquid is prevented from flowing upwardly into the space above the piston 56 by the ball valve 78 in the member 64.

Continued operation of the driving means 4 now moves the left-hand end of the beam 10 upwardly, drawing the pump rod 18 in an upper direction and drawing the pump piston 56 upwardly within the pump sleeve 54. The liquids contained within the pump sleeve above the pump piston are prevented from passing upwardly by the ball valves 50 and thus the only avenue for escape of these liquids is through the bores 60 and the passage 58 in the pump piston, past the ball valve 78 in the member 54 I and down into the lower drill stem 82. Upward motion of the pump piston is preferably arrested immediately before the top 57 of the pump piston engages the plate 42. At the completion of the upward pumping stroke the pump rod and piston are allowed to drop downwardly by continued operation of the driving means as previously described.

This pump provides downward pumping of liquid in the bore hole by the provision of force at the surface of the ground which applies tension to the pump rod 18, and, as a result, the pump assembly may be positioned at considerable depths below the surface of the earth and satisfactory pumping operation provided.

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with the pumping of water in a bore hole, it will be evident that it may be equally well employed to pump liquid through a conduit in a direction opposite to the direction of force applied to the moving pumping means.

It will be evident that, if the pump piston 56 and the pump sleeve are elongated to a considerable degree beyond the lengths shown in the figure, the pump sleeve 54 may be at its lower portion constructed of reduced internal diameter such as the diameter shown at 58, and the outer annular ring of material forming the lower portion of the piston may be eliminated. If this is done, the upper portion of the piston above the reduced diameter lower portion should be of sufiicient length that its engagement with the large diameter portion of the pump sleeve will provide a liquid seal therewith.

It will be evident that this and other modifications may be made to the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pump adapted to be lowered into a bore hole on a tube string and to pump liquid downwardly through said tube string, said pump comprising a stationary pump sleeve mounted in said tube string, a movable pump piston slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said pump sleeve, means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston, means providing for flow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston, means providing reciprocating motion of said piston upwardly and downwardly in said pump sleeve, and means producing a flow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston when the piston is moved upwardly and producing a flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston when said piston is moved downwardly.

2. A pump adapted to be lowered into a bore hole on a tube string and to pump liquid downwardly through said tube string, said pump comprising a stationary pump sleeve mounted in said tube string, a movable pump piston slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said pump sleeve, means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston and preventing flow of liquid outwardly therefrom, means providing for fiow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston and preventing flow of liquid thereinto, means for providing reciprocating motion of said piston longitudinally of said pump sleeve, means providing for a greater displacement of liquid by said piston within said pump sleeve when said piston moves toward the upper end of said sleeve than when the piston moves toward the lower end of said sleeve, and means providing for the passage of liquid through said pump piston from above the upper end thereof to below the lower end thereof.

3. A pump adapted to be lowered into a bore hole on a tube string and to pump liquid downwardly through said tube string, said pump comprising a stationary pump sleeve mounted in said tube string, a movable pump piston slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said pump sleeve, means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston and preventing flow of liquid outwardly therefrom, means providing for flow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston and preventing flow of liquid thereinto, means for providing reciprocating motion of said piston longitudinally of said pump sleeve, means extending downwardly from said pump piston and means extending upwardly from the lower end of said pump sleeve, said last two mentioned means cooperating to provide for a greater displacement of liquid by said piston within said pump sleeve when said piston moves toward the upper end of said sleeve than when the piston moves toward the lower end of said sleeve, and means providing for the passage of liquid through said pump piston from above the upper end thereof to below the lower end thereof.

4. A pump adapted to be lowered into a bore hole on a tube string and to pump liquid downwardly through said tube string, said pump comprising a stationary pump sleeve mounted in said tube string, a movable pump piston slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said pump sleeve, means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston and preventing flow of liquid outwardly therefrom, means providing for flow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston and preventing flow of liquid thereinto, means for providing reciprocating motion of said piston longitudinally of said pump sleeve, means providing for a greater displacement of liquid by said piston within said pump sleeve when said piston moves toward the upper end of said sleeve than when the piston moves toward the lower end of said sleeve, means providing for the passage of liquid through said pump piston from above the upper end thereof to below the lower end thereof, and sealing means positioned externally of said tube string below said means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve for preventing upward flow of liquid around said tube string.

5. A pump adapted to be lowered into a bore hole on a tube string and to pump liquid downwardly through said tube string, said pump comprising a stationary pump sleeve mounted in said tube string, a movable pump piston slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said pump sleeve, means providing for flow of liquid into said pump sleeve above said piston and preventing flow of liquid outwardly therefrom, means providing for flow of liquid out of said pump sleeve below said piston and preventing flow of liquid thereinto, means for providing reciprocating motion of said piston longitudinally of said pump sleeve, a stationary sleeve extending upwardly within said pump sleeve from the lower end thereof and having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of said pump sleeve, said pump piston having a downwardly extending portion slidably mounted in and in sealing engagement with said stationary sleeve, said stationary sleeve and said pump piston downwardly extending portion cooperating to provide for a greater displacement of liquid by said piston within said pump sleeve when said piston moves toward the upper end of said sleeve than when the piston moves toward the lower end of said sleeve, and means providing for the passage of liquid through said pump piston from above the upper end thereof to below the lower end thereof.

6. Apparatus for pumping fluid downwardly through a casing in a bore hole in which the casing includes means providing for flow of liquid into the casing from the earth, said apparatus comprising a tube string of lesser diameter than said casing extending downwardly within said casing and providing only a single and unobstructed passage for downward flow of liquid, means providing an inlet for flow of liquid from within said easing into said tube string passage, means positioned below said tube string inlet means and below said casing inlet means for sealing off the space between said tube string and said casing, and means for pumping liquid entering said tube string through said tube string inlet means downwardly through said unobstructed tube string passage, out of said unobstructed tube string passage into the bore hole below said sealing means and downwardly through said bore hole below said tube string to raise the pressure of the liquid therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Page Sept. 29, 1942 

